Communiqué of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026

CANADA, March 11 - We reaffirm our shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and good governance as the foundation of our Commonwealth and as critical to our collective peace, prosperity and resilience. We underline our commitment to promoting credible, transparent and inclusive democratic processes, accountable governance, and strong democratic institutions, equal access to justice for all, and freedom of expression. We further underline our commitment to gender equality, the empowerment of women, girls and youth, and to women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in diplomacy, peace and security processes, as well as to combating all forms of discrimination, including through the Commonwealth Disability Inclusion Action Plan. We commit to robustly defending the Commonwealth Charter values and amplifying the Commonwealth's message globally. We underline the key role played by the Commonwealth Foundation and civil society in promoting and protecting democracy in our societies and recognise the Nadi Declaration on Democratic Resilience and Participation as a framework for advancing democratic resilience.

We emphasise that human rights and fundamental freedoms are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. We express concern at growing intolerance globally including attacks on freedom of religion or belief, rising antisemitism and Islamophobia, racism and racial discrimination. We commit to strengthening social cohesion and to combating rising religious intolerance, stigmatisation, discrimination, incitement to violence, gender-based violence and violence against persons based on religion or belief. We are concerned about the shrinking civic and political space and growing restrictions placed on independent civil society actors, human rights defenders and journalists, including the misuse of laws to criminalise their activities and suppress dissent and freedom of association. We underscore the importance of the promotion and protection of human rights for resilient, accountable, transparent and inclusive governance, sustainable development and democratic institutions. In this regard, we recall the 2024 Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance and pledge to continue effective implementation.

We recall our commitment at the 24th CHOGM in Malta to enhance national and international efforts to address the causes of irregular migration, including: prevention and abatement of conflict, violent extremism and terrorism; eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable economic development; strengthening the rule of law; nurturing inclusive and pluralist political systems; combating organised crime, human trafficking, people smuggling and modern slavery; and reinforcing respect for human rights. In this regard, we stress the importance of international cooperation and adherence to applicable international law.

We reaffirm the role of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) as the principal mechanism for safeguarding our values and principles, and support strengthening the role and processes of CMAG to ensure robust responses to serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth political values. We encourage CMAG to broaden its engagement to support efforts to strengthen adherence to the Commonwealth Charter values.

We welcome plans to establish a robust Commonwealth early warning system that tracks key indicators of governance, democratic integrity and fragility based on existing regional and international mechanisms, national engagement and civil society networks, and taking into account the Commonwealth Charter values, with the aim of promoting democracy and leveraging preventative diplomacy in challenging and emerging situations.

We resolve to eradicate all forms of corruption within our respective systems, address financial integrity and institutionalise anti-corruption practices to enhance public sector integrity and public trust, reduce inequality, ensure fair domestic resource allocation and increase private investment and economic growth. We acknowledge the threats posed by illicit financial flows to our collective security, growth and democracies. Consistent with our international obligations, we further commit to strengthening international cooperation on asset recovery and enhancing transparency in financial systems. We support the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and its review mechanism. We underscore the importance of capacity building support for Member Countries in dealing with this challenge.

We reaffirm our commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to mobilising finance for development from all sources, public and private. We welcome the renewed financing-for-development framework and initiatives including the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Sevilla Commitment), the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) 2024–2034, the Bridgetown Initiative and the Pacific Resilience Facility. We emphasise scaled-up, predictable, accessible and adequate climate finance, from a wide range of sources, as well as technology transfer and capacity-building for developing countries, particularly SIDS, LDCs and other vulnerable countries. We request the Secretary-General to support coordinated Commonwealth responses to global challenges, including facilitating coordinated Commonwealth positions ahead of multilateral fora, and advocating for accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement and to their strengthened implementation guided by the best available science, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, including holding the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre industrial levels. Concerned that a significant gap remains between current emissions trajectories and that goal, we welcome the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that members have brought forward since our last Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, and encourage all members to bring forward ambitious, economy-wide NDCs and associated climate plans aligned with 1.5°C, underpinned by credible implementation. We urge that, in line with the Paris Agreement, a balance between adaptation and mitigation is maintained in climate finance. We look forward to the role of Australia and the Pacific towards a successful and ambitious COP31. We welcome the unanimous Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 23 July 2025 on the obligations of states in respect of climate change and affirm the importance of the Court’s Advisory Opinion as an authoritative contribution to the clarification of existing international law. We affirm the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework in accordance with national circumstances and capabilities supported with the means of implementation.

Recognising the Commonwealth's diversity and shared commitment to sustainable development, we underscore the value of enhanced coordination and dialogue among Member Countries across the UN climate change process, consistent with its existing negotiating architecture and guided by Commonwealth values, to strengthen our collective voice in advancing ambitious, science-based, equitable and effective climate action to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, including on the particular needs of vulnerable and climate-exposed countries, improved access to climate finance, equitable approaches to loss and damage, and just, inclusive and sustainable transitions.

We commend the Secretary-General's ambition to address pressing concerns and priorities of Member Countries by mobilising resources through innovative partnerships. The spirit of the proposed Net -Zero Fund and the proposed Aspiration Fund, as well as efforts to support mobilisation of private capital for large scale transformative and bankable projects, reflect the bold and action-oriented direction outlined in the Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan 2025 - 2030. We welcome the Secretary-General’s ambition to scale up important support for concrete action leading to meaningful progress on the challenges reflected in this communiqué including distance education for youth skills and entrepreneurship training, and scaled up transition to renewable energy.

We will continue to work together to address the structural barriers limiting access to climate finance by Member Countries, especially SIDS, LDCs and other vulnerable countries, and to support financial innovations, sustainability-linked financing and disaster risk financing instruments, designed to account for climate vulnerability and other climate related disasters, including earthquakes and pandemics and provide rapid and predictable liquidity in times of crisis and for adaptation, loss and damage. We support mobilisation of private capital, encouraging the exploration, use and scaling-up of climate resilient and innovative sources and instruments of finance and insurance, including guarantees, sustainable bonds, risk sharing mechanisms, blended finance, concessional loans, climate resilient provisions and debt-pause clauses. We reaffirm the commitment to the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) and call for its strengthening to enable Member Countries’ capacity to access international climate finance and capacity-building for climate governance and implementation of NDCs. We welcome Australia as COP31 President of Negotiations, and its commitment, in partnership with the Pacific, to elevating the importance of improving access to finance as part of COP31.

We call on the Commonwealth to promote transparent, secure and interoperable digital financial systems and cross-border payments that advance financial inclusion and resilience. We recognise the growing interaction between climate policies and trade policies and support the role of continued international engagement and cooperation on the challenges and opportunities relevant to SIDS, LDCs, LLDCs and other vulnerable countries including leveraging new green trade opportunities. We will build institutional partnerships to unlock private -sector capital, strengthen early -warning systems for weather and climate hazards, and develop and scale bankable, climate-resilient investments, including in renewable energy generation, storage and grid resilience, coastal and ecosystem protection, resilient ports, sustainable transport, fisheries, forests and climate-smart agriculture.

We will collaborate with international and multilateral institutions in the context of the Commonwealth Universal Vulnerability Index (UVI) and the UN Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) including through the continued work to further develop robust and complementary metrics of vulnerability beyond income criteria for assessing development financing needs and allocating concessional finance and debt treatment. We recognise the Bridgetown Initiative and ABAS 2024–2034 as important multilateral platforms for reform of the global financial system particularly in recognition of the special characteristics and challenges facing SIDS and LDCs. We will support members to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation through effective national revenue generation systems, improved debt management and diaspora investment, and to enhance international cooperation on asset recovery, beneficial ownership transparency, tax cooperation and combatting illicit financial flows. We also recognise the need for comprehensive reforms in debt sustainability frameworks to account for climate vulnerability and emphasise calls for the inclusion of state contingent debt-pause clauses and climate-linked debt instruments to protect fiscal space during crises.

We reaffirm our collective determination to respond to climate change, biodiversity loss, water insecurity and plastic pollution as defining challenges of our time. Ahead of the launch of the second Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement at COP31 and the review of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP17, we underscore the importance of the best available science, including the International Panel on Climate Change’s forthcoming Seventh Assessment Report, and call for adequate, predictable and accessible climate and nature finance through innovative instruments and the private sector, including the operationalisation of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, to build fiscal space, strengthen the circular economy, ease sovereign debt pressures and protect natural assets. Recognising gaps in ambition and implementation, we commit to urgent, ambitious and collective climate action to keep 1.5°C within reach, accelerate a just and equitable transition and safeguard land, ocean, forests and freshwater ecosystems.

We commit to advocating for making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development, in line with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement to keep 1.5°C within reach and to advance the goals of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. We affirm the value of country-led investment and finance plans for mitigation, adaptation, the conservation and restoration of nature, sustainable land management and water security, and emphasise the need for strengthened action, timely support and accessible adaptation finance from all sources to scale up adaptation for particularly vulnerable members. We also recognise the potential of high-integrity carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as an innovative source of climate finance and, where they are used, encourage transparent, equitable and country-led frameworks that deliver real emission reductions and sustainable development co-benefits for host countries.

We are committed to addressing the economic, social, environmental and health impacts of disasters caused by human-made or natural hazards, many of which are exacerbated by climate change. In this regard, we stress the urgent need to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events, and urge Member Countries to continue to engage in adaptation planning processes and to enhance cooperation in disaster risk reduction at all levels.

We note the urgent need to rapidly scale renewable energy deployment, electrification, resilient energy infrastructure including grids and storage and clean-energy investment across Member Countries, recognising the significant cross-cutting benefits of a transition to clean energy, including to enhance energy security and access, strengthen economic development and reduce emissions. We emphasise the need for greater ambition to implement the Paris Agreement goals and outcomes of the first Global Stocktake, including tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. We emphasise the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action during this critical decade to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050, in keeping with the science. We welcome and support the energy transition of the global transport sectors towards net-zero, including the International Civil Aviation Organization’s long-term aspiration goal and the International Maritime Organization’s 2023 Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.

We underscore the importance of targeted support for countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and have significant capacity constraints, through simplified access to financing, capacity building and mutually agreed technology deployment, including via multilateral climate funds, to advance energy transformation and facilitate the adaptation and scaling of successful low-emission and resilient energy models across the Commonwealth. We commit to supporting a meaningful shift from ambitious targets to impactful delivery at scale, including through strategically leveraging project preparation facilities and readiness support, regional project aggregation, development and deployment of bankable power purchase agreements, and encouraging partnerships between domestic actors and international technology experts and financiers in ways that support our drive for country ownership of critical national assets. We will leverage blended finance approaches and implement appropriate risk mitigation mechanisms to attract private capital as well as grant and concessional funding for costly but critical ancillary investments, such as grid modernisation and battery storage, where needed.

We remain gravely concerned with the accelerating global emergency facing the ocean and reaffirm our commitment to a healthy, productive and resilient ocean. We underline our strong and unwavering commitment to the goals of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration (2024) and call for accelerated, concrete and measurable action to ensure its full implementation, emphasising the need to further strengthen ocean-based mitigation and adaptation actions in line with the first Global Stocktake, and the role of a sustainable and inclusive Blue Economy including sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, ocean finance and resilient coastal communities for a prosperous Commonwealth. In accelerating these collective efforts, we pledge to scale up progress toward the achievement of SDG14 - Life Below Water.

We welcome the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration adopted by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, and underscore its significance as a forward looking Pacific contribution to peaceful, cooperative and resilient regional order in which peace underpins sovereignty, security and prosperity. We reaffirm our commitment to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and agree to continue working with Pacific countries to protect their maritime zones, address climate-related sea level rise, advance sustainable ocean-based development and to further support peace and human security in the region.

We emphasise the universal and unified character of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirm that it sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. We call on all states to uphold navigational rights and freedoms, including the right of unimpeded transit passage in straits used for international navigation. We welcome the entry into force of the Agreement under UNCLOS on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). We underscore the importance of a successful first Conference of the Parties and reiterate our support for the effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, including through the Global Environment Facility. In accordance with the Agreement, we will work together to support the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from activities relating to marine genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the establishment of area based management tools, including marine protected areas, the conduct of environmental impact assessments, and to promote capacity building and transfer of marine technology. We commend the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work to assist Commonwealth Member Countries in implementing the BBNJ Agreement.

We endorse the Outcome Statement of the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting relating to maritime boundaries and sea-level rise. We reaffirm that members can maintain their maritime zones, as established and notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with UNCLOS, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise.

We commit to support quality green jobs and skills, including through strengthened education, training and capacity building, entrepreneurship and youth-led innovation for climate-resilient energy, ocean and natural resource sectors, as part of a just and equitable transition. We note the importance of creating decent work and inclusive growth especially for youth, women and girls, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and other marginalised groups.

We affirm our intent to galvanise the Commonwealth as a modern economic partnership – open, inclusive and resilient – capable of advancing sustainable growth and shared prosperity in an increasingly complex and turbulent geo economic environment. We recognise the vital role that the Commonwealth can play in promoting economic and financial resilience, growth and prosperity for all its people and call for every effort to maximise the opportunities for economic cooperation, on the basis of shared values and common goals. We welcome ongoing work to support standards and regulatory alignment, the Commonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade, and the Commonwealth Investment Network. We commit to deepen practical economic cooperation across the Commonwealth, harnessing our collective strengths, networks and diversity to unlock new opportunities for trade, investment and sustainable development.

We note with concern that SIDS, LDCs, and LLDCs, are disproportionately affected by the current global uncertainty due to their unique vulnerabilities, limited capacity to adapt to climate shocks and other disruptions, structural challenges in trade and investment, and the erosion of their preferential market access arrangements. We therefore commit to working together to strengthen their resilience to global shocks, including through mobilising development finance, strengthening supply chain resilience, improving transport connectivity and facilitating their greater participation in regional and global value chains.

We reiterate our commitment to a fair, transparent, equitable, inclusive, open, member-driven, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. We further reaffirm the commitment of the Commonwealth to ensure practical and meaningful ways to strengthen the Multilateral Trading System (MTS) including its developmental dimension so that it is fit for purpose and can continue to govern international trade effectively into the future. We support an ambitious WTO reform agenda covering development, foundational issues, level playing field issues and decision making as key topics. We reaffirm our call for a fully functioning dispute settlement system that provides a definitive resolution of all disputes for all members. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting developing countries including SIDS, LDCs and small states in effectively participating in, and benefitting from, the MTS. We recognise that economic resilience and openness are mutually reinforcing and commit to pursuing policies that strengthen both.

We recognise that the diversity of Commonwealth membership can encourage economic and financial stability through enhanced collaboration to increase intra-Commonwealth trade and to reduce digital fragmentation. We will endeavour to draw on the expertise across the Commonwealth to take forward initiatives consistent with bilateral, regional and other relevant cooperation frameworks and groupings as needed to achieve these ambitions. In this context, we will strengthen cooperation to promote resilient, secure and sustainable supply chains, including through diversification, transparency and enhanced collaboration across Commonwealth partners.

We endorse the outcome of our Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting in Namibia and recognise the scale, market and potential of intra Commonwealth trade to drive development and shared prosperity. We commit to ensuring the inclusiveness of all Commonwealth Member Countries by working together to implement the Work Plan on Trade and Investment and strengthen our trade ties including through reducing trade frictions, and eliminating non-tariff barriers that arbitrarily, unjustifiably and unnecessarily hinder trade between Commonwealth members, through cooperation, transparency and the use of existing multilateral and regional frameworks, including existing Commonwealth mechanisms to encourage collaboration, capacity building and information sharing in support of these efforts. We support the active engagement of Commonwealth Member Countries to exchange views, identify and advance our shared interests and priorities towards realising these objectives.

We request Commonwealth Trade Ministers to implement a result-oriented package that advances and strengthens the economic resilience of Commonwealth Members and to engage relevant private sector institutions, to promote further engagement among Commonwealth markets. We request the Secretary-General to report to Member Countries on progress made including measurable outcomes relating to increased intra-Commonwealth trade, investment mobilisation, and support for SIDS, LDCs and other vulnerable economies. We further request the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council and other relevant parties, to submit to relevant ministerial meetings a proposal for reinvigorating the Commonwealth Business Forum to maximise innovative collaboration with the private sector to advance our economic resilience and shared prosperity across the Commonwealth.

We encourage investment in digital infrastructure and public goods, reduction in tax and regulatory burdens for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), support from the Secretariat to enhance MSME competitiveness, facilitate market access, and adopt inclusive policy frameworks that integrate MSMEs into regional and global value chains. We welcome the launch of the Commonwealth Trade Portal and support its operationalisation to facilitate access to information on products, services and opportunities in the Commonwealth, for MSMEs, particularly women owned and youth-led enterprises to increase intra-Commonwealth trade and investment.

We support the Commonwealth Secretariat’s efforts to promote requisite investment flows by leveraging its convening power as well as the trusted relationships among Member Countries. We note the need for scaling investment in large-scale, transformative projects, including climate resilient infrastructure, sustainable tourism, the blue economy, renewable energy, water security, food security and digital transformation initiatives, which are critical for sustainable development and for generating employment opportunities, particularly for persons with disabilities, youth, women and marginalised groups and which contribute to achieving inclusive growth, stability and prosperity for our Commonwealth.

We recognise the investment needs of Member Countries, particularly those that have undertaken significant macroeconomic stabilisation and debt restructuring efforts where a reform-enabling environment now presents compelling opportunities for private capital. In this context, we welcome the ongoing work of the Commonwealth Investment Network and will actively pursue closer engagement with private sector actors and funds to support countries for articulating their investment narrative and translating stabilisation gains to bankable infrastructure and investment projects.